Wonton Noodle Soup With Chicken and Shiitakes

This simple soup combines dried shiitake mushrooms with thin wonton noodles, chicken, and scallions in a light chicken and mushroom broth. It's an easy but filling meal with delicate flavors and a soul-satisfying warmth. The secret is all in the mushrooms.

Why this recipe works:

We make a quick but flavorful broth by using dried shiitake mushrooms and store-bought chicken broth. Rehydrating the mushrooms and then coating them in cornstarch and sugar before simmering gives them superior flavor and texture.

Par-cooking and chilling the noodles allows you to time your dishes to make serving them even simpler.

About the Author: Shao Z. was born in Guangzhou, the birthplace of dim sum, and raised in the Chinatown neighborhood of Philadelphia. As a sibling-less child, cooking was a way to cure after school snack attacks and a way to keep herself entertained. That's how her love for food and cooking started, and it continues to grow. She blog at friedwontons4u.com and is on Twitter at @friedwontons4u.

Procedures

1

Scrub mushrooms under cold running water to remove excess grit. Place in a large bowl and cover with 2 1/2 cups boiling water. Let rest for 30 minutes (see note above). When hydrated, squeeze out excess liquid and snip off stems and discard. Rinse under cold running water again, then transfer to a small bowl. Add sugar, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch and toss to combine. Let rest for 15 minutes.

2

Strain reserved mushroom soaking liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a medium pot. Add marinated mushrooms. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve mushrooms. Transfer simmering liquid to a large pot.